The historic National Western Complex is starting to show its age, and that has been a concern. The National Western Stock Show was initially looking to move locations, but after a strategic partnership was formed and an agribusiness economic study was conducted. The National Western Complex will be changing to the National Western Center and is looking to get some serious upgrades.
The process started when Denver Mayor Michael Hancock came into office in 2011. He pulled the leaders of the NWSS together, and in November of 2012 they committed to staying in their current location.
The partnership was formed in the summer of 2013 between the city and county of Denver, Colorado State University, the Museum of Nature and Science, History Colorado and the Western Stock Show Association.
Then in 2014, a master planning process was completed for the grounds. This master plan shows the campus growing from 130 to 250 acres, the restoring of several historic sites and the total rebuilding of other buildings and areas.
“The lack of room on the current campus is an existing challenge and one that we will solve with this new plan,” says Kelly Leid, executive director of the National Western Center.
The campus will offer a brand-new 10,000-seat arena as well as a new livestock center and a new equestrian center. Those two buildings will offer more than 1 million square feet of space between the two.
“On the livestock side, the NWSS turns away breeds because they do not have enough room to accommodate them. It is our goal to turn what is already a very large livestock show into an even bigger livestock show,” Leid says.
The equestrian center will be a big improvement as well. “Paul Andrews and I really believe it can position Colorado as a major player in the equestrian show world. Colorado has a very strong equestrian business, but we do not have large enough facilities to host a really large show.
The new center will put the stock show in a small company of places that can host global shows,” he explains.
The initial funding for the 10-year project was approved in 2015 through a House bill, voter-approved visitor taxes, the WSSA and a regional tourism act.
The NWC NextGEN Agribusiness Economic Development Study that was just completed shows a lot of opportunities for the National Western Center in addition to the NWSS. The new campus will offer three distinct areas of opportunity: competition and entertainment, education and research, and economic innovation.
According to the study summary, “The NWC can serve as the ‘front door’ for the Colorado agriculture and resource industry, becoming the location where “serendipitous collisions” occur among innovators, finance and markets.
The outcomes informed a high-level understanding of the long-term opportunity for institutional research and job-creating commercial activity at the NWC site.”
Leid believes the new National Western Center will offer unique opportunities for new and emerging agricultural businesses. “Colorado does some things really well. In November of 2014, CSU completed a study on the agricultural value chain and showed where Colorado is positioned,” he states.
He continues, “We built on that and looked at industry clusters, and how those clusters work together. We can start to forge new partnerships, resources, businesses and job creators in one place.”
It is the goal of the National Western Center to become the Silicon Valley of agriculture. “We are well positioned across a variety of sectors, and we believe we have the right players.
There are emerging software companies starting to cluster in Colorado that relate to agriculture, so we wanted to know how we get those industries to converge and collaborate. So we decided to create that space for those companies that may exist or may not exist yet,” Leid explains.
The study showed an opportunity to establish the Agriculture Innovation Triangle, which will exist between Denver International Airport, the National Western Center and Colorado State University.
According to the study, “The Agriculture Innovation Triangle leverages existing regional research, agribusiness and commercial assets. Colorado State University (Fort Collins), Denver International Airport and NWC are already working and expanding their partnership – with the goal of taking an innovation from the lab to the global marketplace.”
The center will be multifaceted, bringing together business, research, education and entertainment into one campus. According to Leid, there are no other places like the proposed center anywhere in the country, and that will set the National Western Center apart.
“Mayor Hancock said someone is going to do this and put together the best thinkers for how we solve the issues with feeding people. Someone is going to figure out how to use natural resources in the most effective way ever. Why not Denver and why not the NWC?” Leid states.
He adds, “What started out with, ‘How do we save the National Western Stock Show?’ has turned into something much bigger and much better. We think the National Western Center presents a great stage.” 
PHOTO: The National Western Center Transit Plaza at 49th Avenue and Brighton Boulevard will be one of the major front doors to the new National Western Center. New pedestrian connections will tie the station to the new livestock and equestrian facilities and to the Globeville neighborhood – looking west. Rendering courtesy of National Western Stock Show.
